A town on the edge of the Israeli desert isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of architectural significance - and to many, it’s hard to see why it would be - but the ancient city of Beer Sheva, built nearly six thousand years ago, is now seen by many as one of the crowning examples of Brutalism in action.

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In the mid 20th century the Israeli government brought their leading architectural minds from all over the young nation to this one city, and let them loose, designing both neighbourhoods, road plans, as well as government buildings in the Brutalist style that some have even argued is it’s own branching school of thought. Ultimately, regardless of your opinion on the merit of this style - the end results feel steady, strong, and thoroughly rugged - quite important qualities to project during such an unstable period, and one that reflected the ideals of the nation at the time.

Words by Nat Twiss